Buffy The Vampire Slayer – Season II dir. by Joss Whedon

Spoilers

cause you know this has been out for how many years now?

Finally made my way through the final few episodes of Buffy, season 2 this weekend. Have to say this and season 3 are my favourite of Buffy. Course these two do sort of blur into one in my head because when I started watching it was on TV3 and they pretty much showed seasons 1 through 3 or 4 without a break as they were playing catch-up.

This season is where Buffy really takes off. The witty dialogue, the humour interspersed with the horror.

There have been quite a few academic type articles and books on Buffy. Many exploring what lies beneath the surface in the Buffy ‘verse. But the surface is what gets your attention first. Without the shiny surface that makes the show fun to watch, easy to engage with, you’d never really bother to tune in again. But there is more than that to Buffy, and that is what makes it fun to rewatch.

We start off with bad girl Buffy as she comes to terms with her death in season 1, but pretty soon the big bad of the Anointed One has been replaced by Spike and Drusila, the coolest mockney vampires ever :) Although at times Spike’s accents veers all over the world, mainly through South Africa.

And of course the revelation that Giles isn’t as squeaky clean and boring as had been previously thought.

Then there is Kendra of the strange accent and the unexpected fact that there are now two vampire slayers. Which is kinda lucky as Angel is transformed from hero to Big Bad, with much resulting coolness.

There is also death, death and more death. And not just of randoms who turn up specifically for that purpose. But characters that the viewers actually know. Jenny Calendar’s being the most shocking.

Season 2 has some really great episodes. Innocence, Surprise, School Hard, Passion. But also one of my all-time favourite Buffy episodes; I Only Have Eyes for You.

This episode dealing with the love story from the 50’s and the ghostly possessions could have been overly melodramtic but Marti Noxon does a really great job in blending Buffy’s guilt with James’. Plus it gives us some wonderful scenes between Buffy and Angel, revealing that David Boreanaz is much more than a pretty face.

This episode also reveals the fact that Snyder and others in Sunnydale know all about the Hellmouth. Foreshadowing the mayor storyline of next season.

And then there is the season finale, Becoming, parts 1 & 2. And even if these two episodes were crap, which they aren’t, would stand out purely for Spike’s speech to Buffy. Although we really have to ask, would he really support Man. Utd?

“We like to talk big, vampires do. ‘I’m going to destroy the world.’ It’s just tough guy talk. Strut round with your friends over a pint of blood… the truth is I like this world. You’ve got dog racing. Manchester United. And you’ve got people. Billions of people walking around like Happy Meals with legs. It’s all right here. eone comes along with a vision. With a real… passion for destruction. Angel could pull it off. Goodbye, Piccadilly. Farewell, Leicester Bloody Square. You know what I’m saying?”

But quite apart from the wonderful dialogue we also get flashbacks^[1] and Darla makes a return, if a very brief one.

Mr. Whedon doesn’t really like ending on a high note does he? Sure, Buffy saved the world but look at all the downers. Not a happy ending at all.

So, on the season three next.